Peppermint Popcorn – Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Peppermint Popcorn is a treat you won’t want to skip this holiday season! Toss popcorn in white chocolate and crushed peppermint then finish with a chocolate drizzle. This sweet snack mix is nothing short of addicting! 

Try some of our other holiday snack mix favorites like this Christmas Popcorn, Reindeer Chow, Christmas Snack Mix. 

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn Recipe

The holiday season is not the holiday season for me without copious amounts of peppermint bark. The kiddos and I always make several batches and inevitably when that’s gone and we’re on to new baking projects, peppermint bark still makes its way into the kitchen. In the form of popcorn, that is!

This peppermint bark popcorn will quell the cravings for peppermint, white chocolate, and dark chocolate in the very best possible way. It’s sweet, minty, crunchy, and completely irresistible. 

Few things beat a gourmet popcorn (like this Chocolate Popcorn), but it can be fairly time intensive to make (not ideal during the craziness of December), which is why this peppermint popcorn recipe is so great. It uses minimal ingredients and doesn’t take a whole lot of time to whip together, yet it’s every bit as delicious in its own way!

What Can I Add To Popcorn For Flavor?

Chocolate! Adding chocolate to popcorn is always going to elevate the flavor and turn an ordinary snack into a delicious dessert! And since we’re playing on the flavors of peppermint bark, we add both types of chocolate to this popcorn — white and dark.

More details on the ingredients in this peppermint popcorn below (none of the below brands are sponsors or affiliated with this site, just what we use and like best):

• Kettle Corn. Purchasing already popped popcorn makes this recipe come together a little bit quicker, but it’s a bit more spendy. If you’d rather pop your own, here’s what we use. We like starting with kettle corn here since it adds a touch more sweetness to the flavor which balances the minty-ness of the peppermint. That said, if you’d prefer plain popcorn, use that instead! (Either this already popped popcorn, or these packets, or use kernels.)
• Peppermint. Grab regular candy canes for the peppermint here. We like the bright coloring of Brach’s best!
• White Chocolate. We recommend chocolate made for melting like melting wafers for best results. (These melts are found in the baking aisle of the store.)
• Coconut oil. I like to add a touch of oil or shortening to the chocolate. It helps to smooth out the chocolate and makes coating the peppermint popcorn in chocolate easier. 
• Dark (or milk or semi) Chocolate. Same with the white chocolate, melting wafers are so easy to work with and taste delicious! No need to splurge on super expensive chocolates here–those are better for enjoying on their own.

QUICK TIP

Make this chocolate peppermint popcorn how you’ll like it best! Use milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate depending on personal preference. My kiddos love it with milk and my favorite is dark!

How To Make Peppermint Popcorn

1. Pop popcorn and remove kernels: There are few things worse than crunching down on a stray un-popped kernel in your Peppermint Popcorn! Here’s how to ensure they don’t sneak in: Lay one or two wire cooling racks over a large tray. Carefully pour the popped popcorn over the cooling rack(s). All the un-popped kernels will fall through the holes onto the tray. Once you’ve scooped up the popcorn and measured it for this recipe, you can dump the kernels left behind into the trash — easy!
2. Crush peppermint: We want fairly fine crumbs here. The best way we’ve found to do this is to add the unwrapped candies to a large plastic bag (or two; the peppermint has a tendency to rip through plastic bags as it is crushed), seal the bag without air in it, and then crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet until the crumbs are formed. 
3. Microwave the chocolate melts in sturdy, heat–safe bowls instead of using plastic or melamine. 
   1. To avoid scorching the chocolate, microwave for 15 seconds at a time, and stir for at least 15 seconds between each microwave burst. Remember, the chocolate is still melting from residual heat even after it has been removed from the microwave.
   2. It’s important the chocolate never gets too hot! We want it nice and melted, but as close to room temperature as possible which will keep it from burning.
4. Toss popcorn with melted chocolate and crushed peppermint. We like to use a rubber spatula to combine everything nicely here. Spread the mixture on a lined sheet pan.
5. Drizzle on melted chocolate and a bit of the reserved crushed peppermint. Let everything set, break apart, and enjoy this homemade peppermint bark popcorn!

Peppermint Popcorn Recipe Tips

• Line the pan. To ensure the candy cane popcorn comes off the pan nicely, be sure to line the pan with parchment paper or foil.
• We toss the popcorn with peppermint and melted chocolate. Use the largest bowl you have (or one that can easily accommodate all the ingredients) to allow plenty of room for tossing without spilling. If you don’t have a really large bowl, separate the mixture into two bowls.
• Don’t allow any liquid near the chocolate. If it gets wet it will seize and harden, and you don’t want that. Here’s why.

More Peppermint Desserts:

Peppermint Popcorn

Peppermint Popcorn is a treat you won’t want to skip this holiday season! Toss popcorn in white chocolate and crushed peppermint then finish with a chocolate drizzle. This sweet snack mix is nothing short of addicting! 

Peppermint Popcorn

Peppermint Popcorn is a treat you won’t want to skip this holiday season! Toss popcorn in white chocolate and crushed peppermint then finish with a chocolate drizzle. This sweet snack mix is nothing short of addicting! 

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Popcorn: Purchasing already popped popcorn makes this recipe come together a little bit quicker, but it’s a bit more spendy. If you’d rather pop your own, here’s what we use. We like starting with kettle corn here since it adds a touch more sweetness to the flavor which balances the minty-ness of the peppermint. That said, if you’d prefer plain popcorn, use that instead! (Either this already popped popcorn, or these packets, or use kernels (~1/2 cup), but be sure to add a touch of salt to the popcorn to enhance the end popcorn flavors.)  
Note 2: White Chocolate: We recommend chocolate made for melting like melting wafers (found in the baking aisle of the store.) Why add oil? I like to add a touch of oil or shortening to the chocolate to help it to smooth out and make coating the popcorn in chocolate easier.
Note 3: Microwaving Chocolate: To avoid scorching the chocolate, microwave for 15 seconds at a time, and stir for at least 15 seconds between each microwave burst. Remember, the chocolate is still melting from residual heat even after it has been removed from the microwave. It’s important the chocolate never gets too hot! We want it nice and melted, but as close to room temperature as possible.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.1g | Protein: 2.8g | Fat: 12.1g | Cholesterol: 7.1mg | Sodium: 30.9mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25.1g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.